SYED Kamall, Conservative MEP, makes it sound as though some malevolent force is transferring powers from "our elected Parliament at Westminster to unelected EU institutions in Brussels" (Letters, Dec 11).

First, the power to regulate markets within Europe was granted to the EU because ministers in our elected government agreed that a single European market (which Margaret Thatcher signed up to in the 1980s) requires European co-ordination to create a level playing field for businesses (UK and others) operating across EU borders.

Second, in his haste to condemn "unelected EU institutions" Mr Kamall ignores the fact that Brussels operates much like our own Parliament. EU Commissioners answer to both elected Ministers from EU member states (via the Council of Ministers) and to elected MEPs (via the European Parliament).

Finally, given the fact that unlike many of our European neighbours, including France, Britain is still in recession, one might expect a little more humility... perhaps we might have something to learn from how our European neighbours avoided the economic devastation seen in Britain?

Mr Kamall's Europhobic Conservatives want more of Labour's 'light regulation' which culminated in the financial disaster currently blighting our economy. A wiser approach would surely be to listen to the Liberal Democrats' Vince Cable - the only British politician to warn of the gathering economic storm.

DINTI BATSTONE

Liberal Democrat European spokeswoman for west London